Garment Access Fittings for Sensor Skin Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for using electrical sensors to monitor muscle activity require removal or adjustment of garments, causing discomfort, embarrassment, and unreliable sensor contact, especially when accessing muscles covered by clothing.

Innovation Solution

A garment with integrated access fittings that allow sensors to directly contact the skin without removing or adjusting the garment, featuring slits or patches for sensor leads to pass through, enabling continuous monitoring while keeping the garment intact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If garments are removed or adjusted to access muscles for sensor monitoring, then sensor access to skin is improved, but user comfort and privacy are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor access to skinVSAvoiduser comfort and privacy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The garment is segmented with discrete access openings positioned at specific locations (chest, abdomen, back, arms, legs) that correspond to major muscle groups. Each opening provides targeted access for sensor placement without requiring removal of the entire garment, thus maintaining coverage and privacy while enabling reliable sensor contact with the skin at specific monitoring locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If garments are removed or adjusted to access muscles for sensor monitoring, then sensor access to skin is improved, but stress on sensors and leads is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor access to skinVSAvoidstress on sensors and leads

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Access openings are pre-positioned in the garment at locations corresponding to major muscle groups before the monitoring session begins. This preliminary arrangement of access points eliminates the need for repeated garment adjustment during exercise, preventing stress and dislodgement of sensors and leads that would occur with dynamic rolling up or removal of garment portions during physical activity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If complete garment removal is performed for sensor access, then sensor access to skin is improved, but user embarrassment and discomfort are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor access to skinVSAvoiduser embarrassment and discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The garment maintains full coverage quality at most locations while having localized openings only where sensor access is needed. This creates a quality gradient where the garment provides both protection/privacy in covered areas and access in specific local regions, allowing users to remain clothed and comfortable while enabling sensor contact at discrete monitoring points on the chest, abdomen, back, and extremities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8776264B2Garments for providing access for sensors to contact skin

Publication Date: 2014.07.15 WARE LLC

AI summary

A garment for wearing during monitoring of muscle activity of a subject includes a torso portion defining an interior space configured and adapted to accommodate and cover at least a portion of the subject's torso. The torso portion defines an exterior space external to the interior space. A plurality of access fittings are defined in the torso portion. Each access fitting is configured and adapted to accommodate access to skin of the subject adjacent a muscle group to be monitored by a sensor unit external to the torso portion, such that at least a portion of the sensor unit remains external to the torso portion with the sensor unit accessing the skin via the access fitting.